Intro to Digital Drawing
The Tales of Grimm
The Tales of Grimm is a turn-based strategy role playing game featuring dialogue- and story-driven gameplay conceptualized by my twin sister, Tessa, and myself. Players assume the role of Mary as she travels through the dangerous land of Grimm, a twisted world that parallels her own, in search of her lost flock. The game features characters from popular folktales collected by the Brothers Grimm in the early 1800s, such as Little Red from Little Red Riding Hood and Briar Rose from Sleeping Beauty.
This video is a mock-up of gameplay and our final for the class. It features the title screen, combat and dialogue interface, and turn-based combat system. We were inspired by games such as Fire Emblem: Awakening, Octopath Traveler, and Final Fantasy VII.
Assets: Sketched in Procreate, finalized in Illustrator
Video: Compiled in AfterEffects
Environmental/Interface Design
The dark, foreboding forests of Grimm are based off of the mossy, deciduous forests of central and eastern Europe. It’s a place that sees heavy precipitation, allowing for overcast skies, mist-covered ground, and thick moss to grow on any surface it can.
The interface is neutral a tone with black accents that resemble wrought-iron fencing (popular during the 1800s) or sharp, black thorns.
Interface, Icons, & Final Environment by Tessa Joyce
Interface, Title Screen, & Environment Concept Art by Sara Joyce
Icon & Title Screen
A snapshot of the title screen along with icons for the game if it was presented in an app store.
Interface Assets
Interface assets shown separately and on the forest battlefield.
Final Background
The final background for the forest battlefield, made in Illustrator.
Background Sketch #2
Ultimately, we decided to go with a leafless deciduous forest. We felt that the shades of green on dark brown give the forest an oppressive, wet feeling, and that the foggy background lends to a mysterious vibe.
Background Sketch #1
Quick sketches of the forest when we imagined it as coniferous, with and without snow.
Portrait: Shouting
Mary’s portrait design with her shouting; even when she’s being loud, she’s pretty quiet…
Portrait: Neutral
Mary’s neutral expression, one of gentle curiosity and hinting at a small smile.
Animation Frames
A sheet showing all of Mary’s attack, idle (gust), and idle (looking) animation frames.
Mary's Color Tests
Although I quite liked the green dress, we decided to go with blue, for fear that Mary would blend right into the mossy forest if she was clad in green. This sketch also served to help me understand the volume of her petticoat and skirt.
Mary’s Design
We drew inspiration from Mary’s design from the era the two nursery rhymes she’s based off of (Little Bo Peep and Mary Had a Little Lamb) originated from: mid-1800s Europe and America. Lighter, muted colors worked well for her shy, unobtrusive personality, and reflected her family’s income as shepherds. Her crook serves to denote her occupation, her primary weapon, and her secondary attack -- charging sheep.
Concept Art by Sara Joyce
Illustrations & Final Animation by Tessa Joyce
Portrait Sheet
Sketches of Mary’s portrait expressions. She shows her wariness by holding her crook defensively across her chest. Her scared expression went unneeded in the final video.
The Party
Mary and the other fairytale characters that accompany her on her adventure: Little Red (Little Red Riding Hood), Hansel and Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), and Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty). The project was created in fall of 2018 and presented at Whitewater’s 2019 MAGD Expo using these reference sheets.
Concept Art by Tessa Joyce
Final Art & Designs by Sara Joyce
Mary & Little Red
Little Red is the first character that Mary meets on her journey, and she quickly takes the young shepherdess under her wing. Little Red comes from a line of hunters who protect a nearby village from the horrors of the forests. Little Red wears her famous red cloak, now fur-lined to stave off the cold, and attacks with her wolf-fang studded bow. She keeps a rabbit’s foot on her for good luck.
Hansel & Gretel
Hansel and Gretel are a pair of fraternal twins who were abandoned by their father, a lumberjack, in the woods. They were captured by a blind hag who, although she loved the taste of human flesh, decided she needed an assistant in her old age. She designated Gretel her helper and Hansel her meal, but Gretel has secretly been learning dark magic and helping Hansel avoid becoming dinner.
Briar Rose
An elven princess cursed to sleep forever by a powerful fey who then brought about the downfall of her once grand kingdom. Mary awakens her with a kiss on the cheek, and she joins the party to fight with her gilded rapier, Thorn, and track down the fey that cursed her.
Mary & Briar Rose Concept Art
Concept art of Mary and Briar Rose’s designs. Both wear multi-layered dresses and skirts, although, for obvious reasons, Briar Rose’s is far more elaborate and expensive.
Hansel, Gretel, & Little Red Concept Art
The twin children of a lumberjack and the daughter of a renowned huntress, this trio have lived fairly active lives, making them more well-suited to adventuring than young Mary and the princess Briar Rose.
